The 2025 Game That Showed Exactly What Kendrick Bourne Meant to the 49ers

He stepped up when the 49ers needed him most.

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Kendrick Bourne’s return to the San Francisco 49ers lasted only one season.

Now he’s heading to the Arizona Cardinals, a divisional rival, on a two-year deal worth $10 million, with incentives pushing it to $12 million.

Bourne appeared in 16 regular-season games and both playoff matchups, but one performance during the 2025 season with the San Francisco 49ers stood above the rest.

Bourne's performance vs the Los Angeles Rams was his standout moment

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Bourne’s contributions were expected to be limited upon his arrival last season. After all, he was an addition to the 49ers depth chart that only needed temporary help. Still, he likely exceeded the expectations placed on his shoulders.

He finished the season with 551 yards and 37 receptions on 53 targets. That’s not a bad return, especially considering he went five games with fewer than one target thrown his way.

The 49ers had a depleted roster throughout the season on both sides of the ball. It didn’t define their year, but when the team reached a make-or-break moment heading into Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, Bourne stepped up with a career-best performance.

At that point in the season, starting quarterback Brock Purdy was out, George Kittle was injured, and Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings were also sidelined. Brandon Aiyuk wasn’t around either, though that came before the events that unfolded. On defense, Nick Bosa had already been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Quite literally, nearly every offensive weapon was missing. Yet against one of the best teams in the league, the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers still managed to secure a 26–23 overtime victory — a game now touted as one of Kyle Shanahan’s best wins as head coach.

As for Bourne, he delivered a 142-yard performance, averaging 14.2 yards per target while hauling in 10 receptions on 11 targets. It echoed the chemistry he once had with backup quarterback Mac Jones during their time with the New England Patriots.

And in the grittiest of circumstances, the 49ers still found a way to win against the Los Angeles Rams, a team that would eventually go on to reach the NFC Championship Game.

Looking back, Bourne’s performance in that game helped shape the trajectory of the 49ers’ season early on. Like the organization itself, he showed they weren’t willing to lie down when the roster was depleted.

In many ways, Bourne’s 2025 season was defined by beating one of the 49ers’ biggest rivals on their home turf.